Self-aligning bearing for power-transmission attachments



G.V A. COATS May 29, 192s.

SELF ALIGNING BEARING FOR POWER TRANSMISSION ATTACHMENTS Filed NOV. 16, 1926 Z Zi INVENTOR 04H1 Y ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 29, 192s.

UNI-TED STATES rarnurorrlcE.

GEORGE A. CCATS,` OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASIGNQR TO GOOD ROADS EQUIPMENT `CORPORATIO`N, 0F PHILADELPHIA', PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

` SELF-ALIGNING BEARING roRPowER-'rnANsMIssIoN Ar'rAcHMeNrs.

application mea November 1e, ieee. s'erirNo. 143,670.

My inventionrelates to a new and useful selflaligning bearing for `power transmission attachment and more particularl to a bearing of" this general character a apted for use in connectionY with apower transmission attachment for automotive vehicles, suchas automobiles, tractors andi the like, where the exigencies ofthe road renderthe useiof aunitary, rigid shaft im'practicable.y

vThe object of myihvention is to provide a novel self-aligning bearing for auxiliary power transmission shafts on automotive vehicles sothatthe transmission` of power from such auxiliary shaft isnot in any way interferedwith by the jars or vibrations of ithemain shaft ofthe vehicle due to irregularities of the road `on'which such vehicle is movinfr. y s s s i While my invention is especially directed to a self aligningbearingfor auxiliary or power transmission shaft on moving machinery such as automotive vehicles, `it isto be understood thatthe same `is equally applicable to power transmission shafts `connected.` to or mounted upon stationary or lixed machinery also, where a great amount of'vibration isdeveloped.` i

To`the`above ends, my invention consists of an auxiliary drivingshaft, a plurality of fixed pulleysthereon, means for coupling said auxiliarydriving shaft to the `main drivingsliaft of 1an automotive vehicle or the like, andsupportingmeans for said auxiliary shaft comprisingV a bearing and a spherical member adjustably mounted in said bearing, said auxiliary shaft being journalled within said spherical member and capable of adjustment with respect to said bearing, the latter being rigidly secured to said vehicle.

My invention further consists of various other novel features of construction and arrangement `of parts as hereinafter described and claimed. i y

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l represents a side elevation of a tractor equipped with a pavement heating apparatus to which power is transmitted by a power transmission attachment equipped with the self aligning bearing of my invention. l

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary view in side elew ration partly sectioned, upon an enlarged sc ale, of the part shown in full `lines in F1 s l. ig.k'3,`is al fragmentary View, partly in section; of certa-in paItSrShoWn attheriglit hand sident Fig. 1; i

Figi 4, is afragmentary view principally in section of one of the shaft bearingsother than atthe tractor` f For the purpose of illustrating my invention Iy have shown inthe accompanying drawings "one formthereof which is at `presentpreferredby me, since the same hasbeen found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that-the variousinstruinentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and' organized `and that my invention is not limited within the scope of my 1 climsto the precise arrangement andiorgan, fi'zatlon ofthe instrumentalities asf- `herein shown and" described. y

In the drawings, and" referring specifically toFig. 1, `the reference numeral 1 designates a tractor provided with the conventional drivinfshaftQ. The tractor is provided `w`ith t 1e* wheels 3 andV and spanning the wheels 3 and 4 are beams designated 5. 'Ihese beams support by means of vertical bearns anfupper` beam This beamf in yturnf supports in conventional style `a `pavementlieater 8; These parts are of conventional style andl have no bearing upon the Depending from the lower beams 5 are a plurality of hangers designated 9, 10, and 11 respectively. These hangers 9, 10,and 11 are secured to place by means of bolts12, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,

the hangers being bolted to the beam 5` through the instrumentality of angle irons 13. In so far as the hangers l() and 11 are concerned, in order to couple the tractor shaft 2 with respect to the auxiliary shaft, 14, use is made of the coupling shown in Fig. 3, which is designated 15 and `which may be of any conventional style. The shaft 14, which is yherein termed the auxiliary shaft, extends through the hangers 9, 10, and 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and for each hanger a permanent part 16 is provided having arranged centrally thereof and horizontally considered a central 0 ening 17 for each hanger, see Fig. 4. Wit in each central openlng or bore 17 of a hanger there is arranged a somewhat spherical member 18 having a curved outer surface 19 for cooperating with the annular bore 17 of a hanger 16. This is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The member having the spherical surface 18 is `designated 2O and comprises a unit clamped as at 21 between collars 22 and 23 fixed t0 the shaft 14, seevFig. 4. The pait 20 is provided with a fixed flange 24 and a detachable flanged part 25 secured by bolts 26, the flanged part 25 abutting against collar 23, and flanged part 24 abutting against collar 22. The brackets 16 carried rigidly by the hangers 9, 10 and l1 afford a firm support for the auxiliary drive shaft 14, which, however, is flexibly or movably journalled in the bearing 17, aswill be understood from Figure 4. Thus, the spherical member 20 having the ball or curved, convex surface 18 is movable in the straight surface bearing 17 thus allowing horizontal tilting or adjustmentof said auxiliary shaft 14 to take up the jolts and jars caused by the progress of the tractor over a roughroadbed, or by any sudden increase or decrease of velocity,

`thereby guardingyagainst the jamming or slipping of the pulleys 28, 29 and 30.` It Y vvill thus be seen that while the' shaft 14 is freely rotatable within the spherical member 2O and its adjuncts, it has no longitudinal movement with respect thereto and the unit as a Whole has a Wlde range of adjustments with respect to the bearing 17, thus providing a bearing` for said shaft which is capable `of automatic self adjustment so that the travel of the tractor or the change in load or velocity will not in an Way interfere with the revolving of the s aft or with its elliciencv.

It will now be apparent that I have de# vised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of 1. In a device of the character stated, a

driven shaft, an auxiliary shaft, means for coupling said shafts, a support, a vertical hanger fixed to said support and a self aligning bearing for said auxiliary shaft carried by said support, comprising a head fixed to the lower end of said hanger and having an annular opening therethrough, a substantially vspherical member journalled Within said annular opening and capable of adjustment with respect to the horizontal axis thereof, said auxiliary shaft being ournalled Within said spherical member, and means on said shaft for maintaining said spherical member in position within said bearing.

2. Ina deviceof the character stated, a driven shaft, an auxiliary i shaft coupled thereto, a support, a vertical ha er fixed to said support and a self aligning caring for said lauxiliary shaft fixedly carried by said hanger comprising a head having an annular opening therethrough, a substantially spherical memberrjournalled within said annular opening, said .auxiliary shaft being journalled within said spherical member, and collars on said auxiliary shaft on either side of said spherical member formaintaining thelatter within said bearing, sa-idspherical memberbeing provided with a detachable flange onyone end thereof and an integral flange on the other end thereof, said flanges abutting against said collars respectively.

GEORGE A. COATS. 

